Never Too Late
by DidIComeAtABadTime
Summary: Maybe this is a little cliché. Bella Swan, she has a good life but she's the intelligent, average type girl. Edward Cullen is the jock, captain of the football team, and living a good life. It's their Senior year in high school; Bella's had six years to tell him how she feels but does he even like her? Could it be too late for her to tell him? BxE, ExO(other characters) M for later


**A/N: This is not my first fanfic, however, this is a new account because for a while I didn't feel like writing so I decided to start fresh. The characters may be a little ooc for this story, but I'm letting you know this now. This story isn't anything special; it's kind of what I've felt throughout my few years in high school and the best friend I grew to love too much who got away. I hope you enjoy it, I know it doesn't seem like much structure now but I'm going to try and work a plot into this story somewhere.**

**Chapter 1 – My Best Friend, Edward Cullen  
**_**Bella's POV**_

The typical Friday afternoon.

The halls of Forks High turned to chaos as students from freshmen to seniors fled out of their classrooms at the last bell. I casually made my way to my locker; I wasn't one for participating in their reckless behavior. I guess that's why not many people liked me.

I reached my locker and put the combination in: _zero it out…right…13…turn left twice…28…turn right again…26._ Putting in a combination wasn't anything special, it was just the basics of having a lock. It kind of got stuck in your brain after six years; middle and high school. They were both purgatory in your last years at both but that was just the thing. I only had eight months left here.

_**Clang!**_ My locker was slammed shut, causing me to jump back. "You almost took my frickin' limbs off!" I cried, crouching down to pick up my books. I heard his booming laugh; I didn't even have to look up to know who the culprit was. He was the thorn in my side…the pain in my ass on a daily basis. But also my best friend.

Edward Cullen.

"Happy Friday to you too, Swan." He had an amused smirk on his face as he handed me the one book he managed to catch in the midst of his laughter. I frowned at the bends in the papers his fingers left; _To Kill A Mockingbird_ was a classic, especially in English AP classes. I would have to fix those crinkles out somehow as I was very fond of this book.

"You couldn't greet me some other way?" I asked, throwing a few books and binders into my cramped locker space. The TV high schools lie because their lockers were huge when in reality, we had the thinnest, most miniscule lockers ever. The limited space was ridiculous.

"It wouldn't be like me if I didn't." Edward replied, grabbing my bag from me. He slung it over his shoulders and we headed out to the parking lot, talking about nothing in particular. I was the "dorky" type but to a certain degree. I didn't wear my glasses to school, I didn't flaunt my intelligence, I was just average…a Plain Jane.

On a daily basis, I received many glares from girls all over because Edward Cullen was my best friend and he was the epitome of popular. Captain of the football team and very, very good looking. Did I mention rich?

However, unlike the drool fest, I wasn't interested in Edward for his money or position of play. We were just _us_. Nothing more than friends. When my parents and I moved here in seventh grade I met him because he was my next door neighbor. We were kids then, but we had certainly grown into young adults.

And we practically did everything together. We spoke of everything, no matter what it was. Hell, the boy even knew when I was pms-ing! Somehow, he'd even found ways to get into my room when my parents believed he had left for the night.

My parents took night shifts so I was thankful Edward always came back; to be honest, I didn't enjoy having the house to myself at night. The first time Edward ever got into the house when I was alone, I almost shot him with my dad's rifle. He was just lucky he called me from downstairs before I even set the gun up.

Edward opened the car door for me and I slid into the passenger seat, pulling the door shut as he walked around to the driver's side. He got in and started the engine, pulling out onto the main road within seconds. His driving used to scare me, but I was used to it by now. And my constant lecturing on why he should wear seatbelts got old quickly so I stopped trying that one as well. I stared out at the panorama of green as we drove home. On Fridays, Edward never had practice unless they had a game.  
Debussy played in the background; there was a calming, not-awkward, silence between us. I felt his fingers lightly squeeze my knee and my reflexes kicked in. I thrust my foot into the lower dash and hissed in pain. Edward laughed and looked forward, "Why so quiet all of a sudden, Swan?"

"No reason. Nothing really to report today I guess." I shrugged, glancing over at him. His eyes locked with mine for a moment, with a knowing look, before I turned away to stare ahead at the white clouds. I wrinkled my nose at the thought of more rain. Of course my parents would move from a sunny region to a constant cover of rain and clouds region. I sighed. I don't think I could really complain though because it brought me to Edward.

"You know I don't believe you," He replied, shaking his head. I breathed a small laugh and nodded. Of course I knew he didn't believe that, but it was kind of true. I didn't actually know what to talk about. "So just talk about something."

I sighed again and let my hair fall in a thick curtain, "Anybody you're interested in?" I heard him chuckle and my face automatically got hot. It was such a simple, yet completely obvious question. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew I had some feelings for him.

"Uh…" he thought about it for a moment and my heart sank a little, "Maybe a few girls…none I'd really like to start a happy life with though." It dropped into my stomach completely now.

Okay so maybe a good amount of feelings for him.

"Please not Jessica Stanley," I said quickly, shaking my head frantically. If she could, she probably would walk around with a guy's head between her legs. I cringed. She was the definition of slut and I was not against that classification title.

Edward had an almost pained face at my words, "God no. I couldn't even last a week in a relationship with her."

"But you did two years ago," I corrected. Edward shook his head.

"What a waste of a week," He commented. I laughed, my face hurting afterwards. How right he was.

"No kidding…" I answered, "You don't need a slut."

"Oh? And what kind of a girl do I need?" Edward asked, watching me again. I could feel my skin getting hot again. _Dammit!_

"I don't know. Someone who makes you happy…someone smart and funny."

"Someone like you?" There was teasing in his voice; the smirk made that evident.

"What? Well…not _like_ me. I'm just your friend, Edward." I said, dismissing the subject completely. Now it was an awkward silence. We pulled into his driveway and I stepped out, grabbing my bag from the backseat. He swung his keys around his fingers as he jumped out, saying he'd be right back. He disappeared into his house and I walked across the lawn to mine.

Edward was back within seconds with his jacket gone and his bag away. We got inside my house and my mother was already making dinner. My father didn't even notice us, he was too busy watching the baseball game. "Hey kids!" She greeted us, smiling as we walked into the kitchen. I jumped up on the counter and sat down next to Edward, who only needed to lean against it; his head would have hit the ceiling if he sat next to me. At least I matched his height now.

"Hey Mrs. Swan," Edward answered at the same time I said, "Hey mom!"

"How was school today?" She asked, wiping her hands on the apron around her neck and waist. We both shrugged and she shook her head. "I know, I know…only a hundred and fifty days left. One month down, eight to go, right?" We nodded, laughing as she said this to us often. My father walked in the kitchen then, acknowledging us with a discreet 'hey' before grabbing his beer and leaving for the big screen again. If it were a football game, I would have lost Edward's presence the moment we stepped inside. "So Edward, will you be joining us for dinner tonight?"

"You know I can't say no to you, Mrs. Swan," Edward answered, "I would love to stay for dinner tonight."

"You don't even know what we're having," I said, my expression was mixed between amusement and confusion.

"So? When have I ever passed up dinner here?" Edward answered, his expression was the same as mine in yet another attempt to mock me. I rolled my eyes and playfully punched his shoulder. My mother pretended to tune us out; she thought she'd embarrass me, except for the fact that when you're friends with Edward Cullen, who knows your parents like they were his own, you're not as easily embarrassed. _Until you two start to date_, she would tease. My mother was almost positive that would be the outcome. I disagreed though, because we were just friends and I didn't want to jeopardize anything. I also didn't want to prove her right.

"You know you'll get fat from how much extra she makes," I commented with a smirk, "Especially with how much you eat."

"Bella!" My mom scolded, waving her spoon at me. Edward laughed, turning to face me.

"Please, my eating habits are nothing compared to Emmett's. Besides, I play football and practice is four nights a week." He countered, shooting me an even more smug look. I rolled my eyes; I knew he was right. Emmett was a freshmen in college this year with his girlfriend Rosalie, who didn't exactly like me but tolerated me at least. She had been captain of the cheerleading team, but that position was handed down to her best friend, and Edward's younger sister, Alice.

I knew Alice but we didn't hang out much because of her practices. She was nice and all, but I didn't want to mingle with cheerleaders, so I only spoke briefly with her if I came across her when I was over.

"Believe me, I know." I said. I stayed and watched the team practice most nights. Fridays were the exception and I was thankful. I didn't mind staying for the practices, but it became boring after a while. Since our freshmen year I've been going to them. Coach Clapp has taken a major liking to his star player and I can't say I don't agree because Edward was phenomenal.

I pulled on the fabric of Edward's t-shirt and we headed upstairs to my room. I knew the rules; my door always had to stay open if a guy was with me. Not that Edward and I would try anything anyway.

The moment we reached my room he flopped down on his stomach, causing a loud thud against the floor as he landed. He snuggled with my pillow, tangling his legs in my blanket. He looked comfortable and the whole scene was too damn beautiful a sight to look at. Edward looked at peace as he relaxed against the cool fabric. His eyelids fluttered for a moment and his breathing became even. He wasn't asleep, he was usually smelling my pillow because of the scent of my shampoo. It was a mixture of wild flowers, and we both loved it I guess.

"Move over," I said, trying to sit down. Edward groaned but didn't move. I tried elbowing him in the ribs, but he was firm. Practice did him well. I actually hurt my arm on him. "Edward, this is my bed."

"You don't consider it ours by this point?" He laughed, peering up at me through the one exposed eye. I blushed and shook my head.

"Um, no…not unless you want to deal with my father." I said, laying down beside him as he moved over lazily. "And his rifle gun again."

"You weren't going to shoot me." Edward said, rolling his eyes.

"It doesn't take courage to shoot a gun, especially not if it's for self-defense." I replied. It did, however, take a lot of courage to admit your feelings for someone. Not like I would anytime soon. Edward threw his face back down in my pillow and relaxed again. It took everything in me not to reach over and stroke his hair. It was certainly on my bucket list though; no way would I miss that opportunity.

"Mmh mhhh!" He mumbled into the pillow.

"What?" I asked after a moment.

Edward lifted his head and glanced over at me, pulling on a thick strand of my auburn-ish brown hair. "I said, 'eight months'. I'm not sure I have the motivation to make it through." I felt the same way, except that my motivation _was_ a little more sturdier. I wanted to go to college; he did too, of course, but we had been accepted to two different colleges. I was excepted to the University of Arizona while Edward was going to Stanford University in California. I felt slightly nauseous at the distance gap; granted it wasn't a large gap, but it was still far enough for him to forget about me.

"Well, just promise me I'm not going to lose my best friend." I said, looking over at him. He looked just as pained by that as me.

"You won't lose your best friend," Edward answered, "I swear on it." I smiled and closed my eyes for a moment. We were quiet for another long while before I spoke again.

"So why is it you hang out with me?" I asked; as many times as I've asked this he always seems to evade the question somehow.

He sighed, expecting this, "Can't you ever ask something different?"

"I will if you could answer it truthfully," I said, "I'm honestly curious, Edward. You have better, cooler friends to hang out with yet you choose to hang out with me instead."

Edward shook his head, already starting to protest, "Bella, if they were cooler than you, would I be here right now?" And now begins the evasive 'answering-with-counter-questions' technique he always pulled.

"That can't be your answer every time," I argue. Edward turned over so that he was on his stomach, looking down at me.

"Oh, but it is," He said, "Honestly Bella, I don't see why it's such a big deal…do you not want me here?" I answer a little too quickly with a loud no and hit my forehead against his as I sat up. "Alright, you don't have to beat it into me," He joked, moving up towards my pillows. I sat down on the end of the bed.

"Sorry," I said, dropping my hands into my lap as the pain subsided. Edward chuckled and looked around my room while we sat in more silence, "I feel like we never have anything to do here…which is why I can't help but ask that question."

"Well you should stop doubting our friendship, because I don't plan on changing my afterschool activities," He replied, "And since you brought that up, maybe we should do something."

"Like…?"

"The hell if I know," Edward shrugged, "It's your house."

"Thanks for clearing that up," I retorted. He laughed, shaking his head.

Up until my mother called us down, we had spent the remainder of our time talking about nothing and everything. Edward beat me downstairs…again for the fourth time this week, he just enjoyed gloating about it when we sat down to eat. He sat across from me as usual and we started eating before my parents even joined us at the table.

"You'd think we never fed you," My mother joked, shaking her head. She sat down at the end, while my father took the seat across from her. Our kitchen wasn't big, but size didn't seem to matter to us that much; it didn't seem to bother Edward, which was probably why he always ate with us. My parents talked most of dinner and were pretty quick to finish too. They got up, put their plates in the sink and headed upstairs to get ready for work. My mother worked the night shift at the hospital as a nurse, and my father was the Chief of police; he went into work early in the morning normally, but Fridays were the exception. It wasn't much different though, he was gone all day most of the week anyway.

Edward's family was very wealthy; his father was the head doctor at the hospital, and his mother was a wedding planner. I rarely saw them half the time as well. Edward's house was pretty big, but he probably forgot since he was always over here; I laughed internally but allowed myself to smirk. Edward was watching me, "Why so smug all of a sudden? Thinking of me?"

"Actually yes," I answered; he gave me a look that asked millions of questions, "But not for the reason you're thinking, Casanova."

"Then what was your reasoning?" I stood up, putting my plate in the sink. I heard his chair being pushed back, and his arm went around me to put his plate in also. "Come on, Swan. Why were you smugly thinking of me?"

I rolled my eyes as he tried to pout it out of me, "Save it for your girlfriend."

"You know I don't date," Edward countered.

"How will you ever find your soulmate, then?" I asked, turning away from him to start the dishes. He grabbed a rag out from the draw and started drying as I handed him glass after glass.

"I figure it'll just happen," He answered simply.

"Okay, that is the most cliché thing I have ever heard," I snorted, turning the tap off. Edward shook his head at me.

"No it's not," He retorted, "Besides, you don't date either."

"Because I'm not interested in anyone," I answered, looking away from him.

"Yes you are." Edward stated as though it were written on my forehead. For all I knew, it could have been.

"No I'm not." I lied.

"Then look me in the eyes and say it to me," Edward challenged, grabbing my arm before I could push him out the door. "Say it." I sighed irritably and looked straight into his emerald, green eyes. The smug look on his face was infuriating at the moment, "You wouldn't be averting your eyes if you weren't lying."

"How do you know?" I asked.

"Please," He chuckled, "Bella, I've known you for four years…you're not that hard to read anymore." What an understatement that was…

"Fine. I'm not interested in anyone."

"Yet," He added.

"Yet," I agreed, biting my lip.

"Goodnight, Bella."

"Night."

My room was fairly lit; my bedside lamp was the only light on in the whole house. My mom was at the clinic, she was a nurse for Edward's father. My father was the chief of police in this small little town so we were a well-known family around Forks. People respected my parents, it was just their offspring that not many people really cared about [a.k.a me].

It was almost eerily quiet, but it was easily accommodated. I could hear people outside passing by, the scuffing of their feet as they lazily walked through the night. A cool breeze danced across my skin from the two open windows; I relished in the feeling of the fall air. It was probably the greatest feeling in my entire life. I heard the creaking sound from my window, letting me know I was no longer alone. I never had to look up to know who it was.

I felt the end of my bed shift, and Edward laid down next to me, "I'm gonna miss these nights when we graduate." He whispered, staring up at the ceiling. I glanced over at him for a moment, before putting my book down and turning my entire body to face him. His eyes moved to me; they were thoughtful and tired.

There were two sides to Edward that I knew all too well.

His cocky side during the day; he was wound up and happy. He was carefree and weightless. But when the world was asleep and we were completely alone together, he was his complete, real self. The world pressed down on him, he realized and spoke about things more personally. I knew he was excited, but scared to graduate. We both were. We feared we'd lose our friendship because he was going to college in California, and I was going back to Arizona. Of course we were happy and proud when we got our acceptance letters, but we never actually spoke about how we felt. We would be far from each other. "You won't be able to sneak into my room anymore," I sighed, trying to muster up a smile. Truth was, I was tired of pretending and putting things off. But I didn't want to put him through it at the moment.

"You're right, I won't." He agreed, "I'll probably have a different roommate." I didn't even try to hide my disappointment.

"Can we not talk about that right now?" I asked lightly, "I know we'll have to sometime, but we've just started our senior year, we still have a few months left."

"You know, when you really think about it it's not that long, Bella."

"Why remind me?"

"It's been _haunting_ me," Edward admitted, "Emmett's been giving me pointers, already! And he's just started his freshmen year in college."

"Well at least you'll know what to expect," I said nonchalantly, "Whereas I, Bella Swan, the only child, has no one to talk her through it."

"I don't think you need the help," He said, "I'm sure you'd be just fine in college."

"Maybe," I shrugged sadly, "But that doesn't mean I don't want my best friend."

"You should have applied to Stanford with me. I know they would have accepted you; plus they have great programs," He answered simply; he brushed his fingers across my collarbone, something he did absentmindedly when he was tired and needed something to keep him busy. I found it ticklish, which was why I tried not to cringe away when it tickled because it urged him on more, and he just loved—and lived to torment me.

"I know, but I didn't find it that interesting," I said defeated, "But you know I tried to."

"They still would have wanted you nonetheless," Edward replied, his hand landing on my waist. Butterflies attacked my stomach then; it was funny how a simple touch could do so much. I never tried to bring my feelings to the surface, I just couldn't bring myself to find the courage and tell him. He was only playing with the fabric of my shirt, but it didn't stop the tingling beneath my skin.

_I had a crush on my best friend!_ I used to push the feelings away, but denial was usually the first sign and I eventually started to notice the little things and knew there was no way to stop them. I had hoped it was a pointless phase, but clearly not since my feelings for him had gotten stronger and my heart broke every time we brought up the subject of leaving.

"Earth to Bella," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. We didn't have to whisper, but since everything was so quiet it was kind of a habit. I refocused my attention to him.

"What was that?"

Edward laughed, "Well, I was mostly thinking aloud but I asked what you'll be majoring in."

"I'm still undecided," I answered, slightly disappointed in my procrastination, "But I want to major in English…journalism to be exact." Edward nodded slowly, a look of strong concentration on his face. I was curious as to what he wanted to go for, I'd heard him say medical school many times, but it could have changed. He wanted to be like his father.

"Medical school for me," Edward said, answering my thoughts.

"You'll make a great doctor," I answered, "I thought about the medical field…I wanted too—,"

"You should have applied, Swan!" Edward laughed, cupping my face in his hands, "Who knows, maybe we could have gotten an apartment together."

"You would actually want to live in an even smaller place with me?" I asked in disbelief. Edward shrugged for a moment before nodding. "I don't believe you."

"Hey, I'm here, aren't I?" Edward defended, "We've been doing this same nightly routine for five years. Of course I would. We are still best friends right? You haven't miraculously replaced me already?" He smirked, looking up at the ceiling again. I sighed, nodding.

"Come on! I couldn't replace my best friend."

"Promise?"

"Promise."


End file.
